Truth or Dare
by blue sapphire lady
Summary: All Hermione wanted to do was finish her essay. Actually their essay. But of course Malfoy had to start a game of Truth or Dare. And of course she had to agree...D/Hr
1. Chapter 1

Title: Truth or Dare

Summary: On a sunny Saturday, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy are stuck together in the quiet library, doing a project for History of Magic. But the work is forgotten when the two start to play a game of truth or dare…

"Would you stop doing that? It's distracting," hissed Hermione Granger angrily for the third time today. It had only been fifteen minutes since her and Draco Malfoy had walked in the library and he was already doing something that made Hermione want to throw something at him.

"Stop doing what? Stop doing this?" asked Draco with an arched eyebrow, tapping his fingers against the table.

Hermione nodded.

Draco slowly stopped drumming his fingers on the table and looked at Hermione expectantly.

"Go back to your work Mudblood. The quill's not going to write by itself," commanded Draco snobbishly.

Hermone gave him a dirty look before she continued to write the Transfiguration essay (which was due the next day).

Under normal circumstances, Hermione would have made her partner do half (or at least a little bit of the work) even though most of the times, she would correct and change what the other person wrote. But her partner was Draco Malfoy and Hermione doubted that he even paid attention in class. There was no way that she would let him ruin her high mark, which she had worked so hard on achieving.

The moment that Hermione's quill touched the long parchment, she could hear fingers drumming against the table. The inkbottle near her left elbow was shaking as the drumming got louder and louder.

"Do you have a problem or something?" she snapped heatedly, louder than she expected.

After earning a dark look from Madam Pince, the librarian who was arranging books nearby, Hermione threw the smirking Draco another dirty look.

"What? Are you annoyed with this?" he asked innocently.

"We've already been through this," replied Hermione between clenched teeth. There was a slight pause. Hermione opened her mouth to say thank you (she had to show manners of course) when Draco began drumming his fingers again.

"Then, I'll just keep on doing it," he replied smirking at her.

"Malfoy, you-" started Hermione but was silenced by Madam Pince once more.

_Fine, then I'll just ignore him_, she thought as she continued with her work.

Some time passed in silence and Hermione's anger towards Draco slowly subsided. That was until he started talking again.

_Why does he have to open his mouth?_ she thought in annoyance.

"What do you want?" she hissed, staring at him for the first time in ten minutes.

The smirk was still in place, his left hand ruffling his blonde hair. A mischievous gleam was in his eyes as he repeated what he said.

"Truth or dare, Granger?" he said, barely over a whisper.

"I'm not playing," refused Hermione instantly.

Of course she wouldn't play, she didn't have time for that. And beside, Hermione could picture the kind of dare Malfoy had in mind.

"Are you chickened, Granger?" he asked in a mocked voice.

Hermione looked at him straight in the eye, defiant. "No Malfoy, but unlike you, I do want to get my work done."

"Excuses, excuses," drawled Draco with a wave of his hand. Hermine's eyes narrowed.

"No, they're not excuses, it's the truth. This is due tomorrow Malfoy, in case you've forgotten," said Hermione angrily, "And besides, you can just forget it because I'm not going to hang myself or jump off a building for a dare, Malfoy."

Draco laughed out loud, liking very much the idea.

"Thanks Granger, that would make a great dare," he agreed heartedly, earning a glare from the girl sitting in front of him, "Maybe Weasel will do it for a Galleon," he added thoughtfully.

Hermione's foot suddenly collided with his knee.

"Oh sorry, I was just stretching," said Hermione sarcastically, smiling evilly at Draco who was glaring daggers at her.

"Very funny. Now let's play. Truth of dare, Granger?" asked Draco, rubbing his sore knee.

Hermione sat there for a minute or two, eying him suspiciously, arms crossed in front of her.

"That's not part of the game," snapped Draco, losing his patience. "Truth or dare!"

"What are the rules?" asked Hermione curiously. Draco rolled his eyes in exasperation.

_I should have known that she would say something like that_, he thought.

"There are no rules Granger. That's what makes it _fun_," replied Draco as though it was the most obvious thing.

"No rules? Why not? A person can have the same amount of fun if there were rules in the game," debated Hermione. She frowned at the idea of no rules while Draco stared at her in disbelief.

"Who the hell _cares_? There are _no rules_ in this game, so deal with it," hissed Draco.

"But isn't saying that there are no rules in this game, a rule?" pointed out Hermione, challenging him.

"Would you stop being such an insufferable know-it-all for once in your life? Just play the damn game," snarled Draco, his voice raising.

"Boy, this is a library. If you want to yell, go outside," said Madam Pince as she slapped Draco on the head.

Hermione put her hand over her mouth to hide her growing smile at Draco's reaction. A low hiss of profanities came out of his mouth the moment Madam Pince was out of earshot.

"Think that's funny Granger?" asked Draco, raising one eyebrow.

Hermione gave him her best blank expression, fighting the urge to laugh out loud.

"Truth or dare?" asked Draco, leaning closer while Hermione leaned back.

_What is with this guy? Why does he want to play so badly?_ thought Hermione.

She thought very hard for a moment. If she chose dare, she was almost certain that Draco would force her to do something so disgusting or something that would get her into trouble. But if she chose truth…

"Fine, I'll play. Truth then," decided Hermione finally.

But the minute she gave her answer, the look on Draco's face made her instantly regret it.

"Alright Granger. Time to spill the beans. Now here's a question I'm sure everyone is interested in knowing. Who's the better boyfriend, Weasel or Potty?" asked Draco. Hermione sighed in annoyance.

"None of them. Sorry to burst your bubble Malfoy, but Ron or Harry aren't my boyfriend," responded Hermione, rolling her eyes.

_Why does everyone keep thinking that?_ she thought.

Draco snorted in disbelief.

"My turn. Now truth or dare?" asked Hermione.

"Dare," said Draco almost immediately.

"Oh, in a hurry, now are we?" asked Hermione.

"Unlike you Granger, I'm not scared to take a dare," boasted Draco arrogantly. Hermione resisted the urge to slap him like Madam Pince had a few minutes ago.

_Now, what should I make Malfoy do?_ she wondered. She absentmindedly played with a strand of hair, thinking hard. Her eyes searched the library, looking for something that Draco could do. Her chocolate brown eyes widened as they rested on a certain person behind Draco's back. An evil smirk formed on Hermione's lips as she returned her gaze to the impatient Draco.

"Well, hurry up Granger. I don't have all day," he said, tapping his fingers on the table.

"I dare you to grab a book, walk up to Madam Pince and rip a page right in front of her face," said Hermione, her voice barely over a whisper. Draco paled considerably, his eyes widening.

"Well, Malfoy, are you going to do it? Come on now, give me an answer," grinned Hermione. Draco narrowed his eyes at her, suddenly wishing that he never mentioned the game at all.

"Granger, if you never knew, I'm not suicidal!" he exploded angrily." That woman will beat me down as though her life would depend on it. I refuse, I'm not going to do that."

With that said, he folded his arms in front of his chest and glared at the bushy haired girl.

"Are you chickened, Malfoy?" asked Hermione, mimicking his words.

"Would _you_ do that for a dare, Granger?" snapped Draco heatedly. Hermione thought for a moment.

"Yes, I would," she replied.

Draco snorted in disbelief.

"Know-it-all Granger breaking a rule on purpose? Please," scoffed Draco.

"You're just scared Malfoy, admit it," remarked Hermione triumphantly.

"Fine, Granger, I dare you to-" started Draco but Hermione interrupted him.

"You have to fulfill your dare first, Malfoy. No funny games," interjected Hermione.

_Ha, I finally caught him in a corner_, thought Hermione proudly. She was absolutely certain that he wouldn't dare do such a thing in front of Madam Pince. But she did feel a little bit disappointed. It _would_ have been entertaining if Draco actually ripped a book in front of Madam Pince. A picture of Draco being chased by Madam Pince (who would without a doubt see ripping a page from a book a horrible crime) made Hermione giggle.

"Give me a different dare," said Draco.

"Fine," agreed Hermione. Draco blinked in surprise. He had been expecting Hermione to say no to any of his pleading. But it wasn't like he was really _pleading_. He was only _suggesting_.

"If you don't fulfill your first dare, then you'll have to kiss me," whispered Hermione.

Draco stared at her horror-struck. Once the shock passed, he narrowed his eyes at her and for the fortieth time that day, gave her the darkest glare.

Hermione smiled sweetly at him and batted her eyelashes.

"So _Draco,_ which is it going to be?" she asked, an innocent expression on her face.

_Of course he'd rather jump down the Astronomy Tower than kiss me,_ thought Hermione, rather happy with this fact.

"Are you mocking me, Granger?" growled Draco, his eyes drilling holes into hers.

"Where did you ever get such an idea?" asked Hermione with an air of naivety. Draco opened his mouth to retort but stopped, his eyes fixed on something behind Hermione. Curious to see what got Draco's attention, Hermione turned around to see Ron walking towards her.

_Great, now weasel's here_, thought Draco, cursing his luck. Hermione waved heartedly at the approaching Ron.

Midway, Ron bumped into a first year student from Hufflepuff, the small girl's belongings scattering all over the ground. Ron started to help the small girl, grabbing her books and quills.

_Here's my chance_, thought Draco.

"Granger, your hair's on fire," whispered Draco. Hermione whipped around, her hands reaching to the top of her head. Draco quickly leaned forward and lightly pressed his lips with hers.

Then, as though he was being chased by wild horses, Draco bolted towards the door, leaving his belongings on the table with a very surprised and quiet Hermione Granger, Ron's yelling and cursing ringing in his ears.

_Well, who the hell is stupid enough to rip a page from a book in front of crazy old bat woman?_ thought Draco as he looked back to see Ron running after him, his wand in his hand.

The End.

(A/N: Reviews? This is an old one-shot that I thought would be fun to post here.)


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Truth or Dare

Chapter 2

"Ron, please! That's disgusting," protested Hermione as Ron wolfed down another chicken sandwich. He grabbed his goblet of pumpkin juice and swallowed it with one gulp. Harry had stopped eating, watching his friend, clearly impressed.

"That's pretty impressive," admitted Harry, unable to help himself. Hermione shot him a warning glare.

"Don't you start complimenting him like that! Doing something like stuffing seven sandwiches isn't impressive _at all_. Don't you know any better, Harry?" preached Hermione sternly.

"Relax, Hermione. It's nothing," laughed Harry as he started to eat his lunch."Besides, that's his eight sandwich. I have no idea how he can eat too much."

Ron tried to say something but accidentally sprayed chicken all over Hermione's plate. Hermione immediately lost her appetite as she pushed her plate away from her, sipping her pumpkin juice with a scowl on her face. Ron immediately quiet down, sensing that he was now stepping on dangerous and fragile territory. Hermione ignored Ron completely and only replying in monosyllables whenever asked a question by Harry. Her eyes wandered over students heads, searching for one in particular…

And then she found him. Obviously sitting at the Slytherin table, talking to his bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione blushed scarlet, remembering the "incident" that happened Saturday in the library. It was fresh on _her_ mind but she wondered if _he_ was thinking about it at all.

_Well I know that Ron hasn't forgotten_, she thought eyeing the redhead in front of her.

It seemed that the glum but yet frustrated expression on his face was going to be permanent. That was the only expression Hermione saw on Ron's face for the last couple of days. She was actually starting to miss the old Ron. Now all he'd do was grumble, snap and glare at every passing thing. Even Harry had noticed the change of behavior from his red head friend.

Hermione shook her head, remembering quite vividly when Harry said that he'd become best friends with Colin Creevey if the two didn't tell him what was going on. The tension between Hermione and Ron didn't go unnoticed, but what really caught Harry's eye (and many others) that Ron never seemed to leave Hermione out of his sight.

So the truth was revealed to Harry and it dawned on him that maybe some of Ron's feelings were finally surfacing. Although he didn't participate in Ron's brilliant idea of stalking his best friend, it was clear that he silently approved of what Ron was doing. Which made Hermione furious at the both of them.

"I think Ron's becoming obsessed with Hermione. There's really no other explanation," Ginny said to Harry as she took a bite from her turkey sandwich.

She had taken a new habit of observing Ron and Hermione, which the later didn't really appreciate. Ron growled at his sister, a silent threat in his eyes while Hermione pretended not to hear the conversation. But her face reddened nonetheless. Ginny, as well, had been updated on what happened Saturday afternoon.

Hermione couldn't stand it anymore. The only place that Ron wouldn't follow her was the girls' bathroom and the girls' dormitory. Besides that, he was right beside her every single day. It was getting too obvious with him either right behind her, breathing down her neck or standing right beside her, looking as though he was glued to her hip. Other people were starting to notice the odd change as well, giving an embarrassed Hermione and a furious Ron, weird stares. Hermione was now forced to watch all of Harry and Ron's Quidditch practices. If not, Ron actually refused to go, which made the Gryffindor team furious.

It was clear that Ron would very much like to murder Draco Malfoy but for some odd reason, Hermione wasn't feeling the same. She was mad, but not to the level that Ron was at.

No matter how many times she told herself not to do it, she always looked at the Slytherin table out of the corner of her eye.

_I wonder if he regrets it_, she thought suddenly, wondering why she cared so much. _Do I regret it?_

"Hermione, your juice just spilled," laughed Ginny, snapping Hermione out of her inner debate. Hermione stared at the laughing girl in surprise, not hearing a word she had said.

"What?" she asked, receiving raised eyebrow for her lack of attention.

"Your juice. You spilled it," explained Ginny while Harry studied her closely. Sure enough, the orange liquid spread on the white tablecloth, staining it.

"Hermione, are you all right?" asked Harry, a frown appearing on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine Harry. Why wouldn't I be?" asked Hermione. Ron stopped eating and stared at Harry then at Hermione several times. Then he stared intently at Hermione, his sandwich in his hand forgotten.

"Are you sick? Do you have a fever? Do you feel like you're going to throw up?" asked Ron suddenly. For once, he didn't have any food in his mouth and Harry, Ginny and Hermione were more than grateful.

"Ron, I'm perfectly fine," said Hermione impatiently, getting annoyed with Ron with every passing minute.

_One of these days I'm going to snap at him!_ she thought. Ron was about to continue with his questioning until Seamus nudged him.

"What's up with you? Are you her bodyguard or something?" grinned Seamus.

Ron blushed a dark red while muttering something incoherent under his breath. That got the attention of Dean, Neville and most unfortunately for Ron, his twin brothers.

"Ron's in love," said Fred and George in unison, batting their eyelashes.

Lee, who was talking to Alicia, stopped their conversation to listen, leaning in eagerly, not wanting to miss anything. Soon enough half of the Gryffindor table was listening to Fred and George's "honest" story of how Ron and Hermione were making out in a broom closet, much to Hermione's horror.

_I have to leave_, she thought, trying to find a way out.

She needed to pass unnoticed, which seemed impossible at the moment. She looked around the table, trying to find an ally. Harry was out, Ron was definitely out but the way Ginny was staring at her gave hope to Hermione. Ginny nodded, silently saying that she'll keep the boys busy. Hermione nodded, entirely thankful that Ginny wasn't like her brother. Without warning, Ginny grabbed Harry's full goblet of pumpkin juice and threw it at Ron. Ron stared at his sister in shock, opening and closing his mouth.

Quietly as she could, Hermione got up from the Gryffindor table and with top speed, left the Great Hall.

"I'm free," she said to herself happily as she slowed her pace in the empty corridor. Little did she know, a certain blonde Slytherin had raised from his table as well and was going the same direction as her.

Hermione looked through her bag, trying to find her History of Magic essay that was due today. She wanted to be the first person to hand it to the professor but she couldn't find it anywhere.

_That's odd, I'm sure I put it on my bag_, she thought. _Did I forget it somewhere?_

Hermione cried in frustration, searching her bag over and over again. She was telling herself that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Her essay just _had_ to be with her.

"Something wrong, Granger?" drawled a voice behind her. Hermione stiffened and slowly turned around to face Draco, who was smirking down at her.

_When did he ever get so tall?_ she thought, wondering how she never noticed before.

"No, everything's fine, thank you very much," she said. The scene at the library when he kissed her before running for his life played in Hermione's mind.

Draco took another step and Hermione noticed that he was too close for comfort. She took a step back. Draco's smirk widened as he took another step forward.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she asked angrily as she took another step back.

"Me? What am I doing?" he asked with feign innocence as he casually took a step forward, his hands in his pockets.

"You're annoying me," replied Hermione. She would have taken another step except her back was facing the stonewall. Draco had her trapped.

"I have an idea, Granger," said Draco, staring intently at Hermione. She raised her head, interested.

"Let's play truth or dare," he suggested. Hermione snorted.

"Why am I not surprised?" she asked sarcastically. "What is with you and that stupid game?"

"Meet me in the library during History of Magic," continued Draco as though he hadn't heard Hermione talk.

With that said, he simply turned around and started to walk the other way. Hermione stared at his back in disbelief.

_After what happened, he still wants to play truth or dare?_ she thought. _Well, there's no way that I'm going. I still have to hand in my report. _

Hermione's eyes widened and she groaned. The essay that was due today was the one she was unfortunately forced to do with Draco.

"I didn't finish it," she moaned, mentally hitting herself.

Hermione had now two options. Either to go to History of Magic empty handed while everyone handed in their report or go to the library.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she mumbled as she picked up her fallen bag and headed towards the direction of the library.

_I'm only going there to get some work done. I'm going to finish my homework for Transfiguration and Potions then I'm going to finish my essay for History of Magic_, Hermione told herself. _I am __**not**__ going to play truth or dare. _

(A/N: Here's chapter two! You guys convinced me to make it a short story. Reviews would be very much appreciated! Until next time.)


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Truth or Dare

Previously on chapter 2

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she mumbled as she picked up her fallen bag and headed towards the direction of the library.

_I'm only going there to get some work done. I'm going to finish my homework for Transfiguration and Potions then I'm going to finish my essay for History of Magic_, Hermione told herself. _I am __**not**__ going to play truth or dare. _

Disclaimer: Check chapter 1

Chapter 3

Harry gulped the remainder of his pumpkin juice while eyeing his red head friend. It was rather funny how oblivious Ron was at certain times, especially now.

_Should I tell him anytime soon?_ he wondered silently.

He placed his goblet beside his gold plate, which was sprinkled with breadcrumbs. He absentmindedly played with the crumbs, Seamus and Ron's conversation drowned by his own thoughts.

_Well, she does need her space. I mean, Ron can't go following Hermione everywhere she goes_, thought Harry. _I'll keep quiet about Hermione leaving the table._

The black hair boy nodded to himself, as if affirming to keep his mouth shut. But he felt uneasy, thinking what would happen when Ron found out that Hermione was by herself. An image of Ron dramatically yelling Hermione's name while bursting in and out of every classroom passed by Harry's mind.

Harry sighed, feeling frustrated. He knew that whatever decision he chose, one of his friends were going to get mad at him.

Harry stared around the table, as if hoping that something or someone would help him. His eyes landed on the Weasley twins, who were playing with a Sickle they had found on the ground. Harry brightened.

_That's it. Heads or tails. Hermione's head and Ron will be tails_, thought Harry.

He focused his attention on the Sickle as it did a few flips in the air before landing on the table.

Tails.

"Sorry Hermione," muttered Harry as he turned to face his friend.

Hermione stood in front of the closed doors leading towards the quiet library. She nervously played with the strap on her bag while biting her lip. On usual occasions she wouldn't give a second thought about entering, going inside the place she loved the most. But now she secretly knew that she wasn't going inside the library to be surrounded by books waiting to be read, but for a certain person.

_What am I thinking? I've never skipped a class before_, she thought, her anxiety and doubts growing.

_Just open the door. It's not that hard_, replied another voice, her tone annoyed.

_But what if he's there?_ the first voice wondered.

_Of course he's going to be there! He said he would_, exploded the second voice with more pronounced annoyance.

_I must look like a fool, just standing there doing nothing_, thought the first voice.

_Yes you do_, agreed the second.

Hermione sighed, blowing a strand of brown hair away from her eyes.

"Might as well get it over with," she muttered. She turned the large brass doorknob and pushed. The familiar smell of candles and smoke filled her nostrils while the creaking noise from the door caused Madam Pince( who was tidying a table nearby) to stare at Hermione haughntily. Her black eyes silently warned her to be quiet.

Even though Hermione made regular trips to the library, Madam Pince was one of the few adults who regarded her with indifference or her famous glare for making the smallest noise.

But Hermione hardly regarded Madam Pince as she walked right past her, her eyes searching. Her heart was beating at a furious pace while her feet shuffled its way past tall bookshelves filled with books. Hermione's chocolate brown eyes glazed over the books, her ears alert for any noise of footsteps.

Harry was losing his patience and he was losing it fast. It seemed impossible to get Ron's attention and Harry briefly wondered how Mrs. Weasley could ever handle it.

"Hey Ron," said Harry.

He had lost count how many times he had said Ron's name. He was sure that he was sounding more and more like a broken radio, repeating the same thing over and over again.

He nudged Ron, who was busy having another heated argument with Seamus about Quiddith and "foosball", didn't hear Harry.

"Ron!" said Harry louder and poked Ron in the shoulder.

"What is it Harry? Can't it wait? He's insulting the best game ever invented!" replied Ron crossly. Seamus glared at the red head.

"I'm not "insulting the best game ever invented", you idiot. Football is just as good as-"

"No, it's not," answered Ron rudely, not letting Seamus finish.

"Anyways," said Harry quickly before he lost his best friend's attention once more, "Can I borrow your Transfiguration notes?"

Ron stared at Harry as though he had just said that he liked football better than Quidditch.

"What _for_? You know that whenever I write notes, it's a load of crap so when the teacher comes, I don't get in trouble," said Ron.

He stared at Harry as though he was a different kind of species. Seamus sniggered but was suddenly interested with his tie when Harry and Ron both glared at him.

"Well, I did ask Hermione but she gave me her History of Magic essay instead," explained Harry, showing two long sheets of parchment with Hermione's tiny writing.

Ron's eyes widened. He quickly grabbed it and examined it. Harry and Seamus raised their eyebrows in question but didn't bother to ask.

"Can I have it back?" asked Harry, slightly tugging at a corner of the first page.

"Harry, she didn't finish it," said Ron solemnly.

"What?" said Harry and Seamus in unison. Ron nodded.

_You have to hand it to Ron. He noticed that Hermione doesn't do her homework but doesn't notice that she's not there,_ thought Harry. He shook his head, inwardly smiling.

"Look at it. It's only two pages. For a normal student, this is more than enough but for Hermione…"trailed Ron shaking his head as though he couldn't believe it.

Harry snatched the unfinished essay and both he and Seamus stared at it hard.

"He's right. Hermione writes a novel when it comes to essays," said Harry finally, wondering how he didn't see it before.

"Hey, where is she?" asked Seamus suddenly. The three boys looked around to find it was only the three boys and Ginny who were left sitting on the Gryffindor table.

"Got to go, see you later," said Ginny quickly as she flashed a mischievous smile their way before bolting towards the Great Hall.

Hermione quietly and slowly peered past a shelf to see a fifth year Ravenclaw reading a book.

"He's not here," she whispered to no one in particular.

She didn't know if she should feel relieved or angry for him lying.

"Looking for me?" asked a voice behind her, a warm breath ticking her neck.

Hermione jumped in surprise and tripped on her own feet, sending her flying towards the ground. The fall wasn't soft or quiet. Many people nearby either stared at Hermine in annoyance or was laughing and giggling at her.

Hermione blushed. Her eyes quickly met the ones that were staring back at her.

"Did you think I was Weasley, Granger? Wanted to run for cover?" asked Draco smirking, not bothering to give Hermione a helping hand. Not that Hermione would ever take it. He had his hands in his pockets as he casually leaned against the bookshelf.

She scowled at the blonde Slytherin, wishing that it were him who had fell down, not her. She wanted to say something, but no witty comeback came into mind.

"Oh be quiet, Malfoy," she finally said as she rose to her feet. She grabbed the bag that had fallen down with her and turned her back, ready to leave the library but most importantly _him._

"In a hurry, Granger? I wouldn't be surprised since Weasley has become more of a stalker than a boyfriend," said Draco.

Hermione stopped in her tracks and whipped around.

"Ron is not my stalker. He's my friend, Malfoy. But of course you wouldn't understand that, now would you?" she hissed, glaring daggers at her.

Ron's ears suddenly turned pink. Harry, sensing that he had to do something, anything, tried to calm his friend.

"Now Ron, calm down. Let's think this logically. She might have gone to the bathroom," rushed Harry while Seamus stared at Ron as though he had grown an extra head.

"By herself?" asked Ron frowning.

Harry quickly debated what to say.

"Yeah, she went by herself," said Harry, not understanding the damage he had done before it was too late.

He was certain that he heard Ron cuss under his breath. For a moment Ron looked defeated as his eyes warily looked over at Hermione's neat tiny writing that were clutched in Harry's hands.

With a newfound energy, he madly dashed out of the Great Hall, leaving a confused Seamus and a groaning Harry.

"Come on, I need your help," said Harry to Seamus as he too rose but in a more normal fashion, unlike Ron's departure.

Seamus grinned at the jet-black hair boy.

"Of course I'll help. Who the hell wants to go to Binns class anyways?" asked Seamus as Harry quickly walked out of the Great Hall.

"I should have said she was surrounded by Aurors," muttered Harry.

Seamus, catching up to him, stared.

"Who in their right mind would believe that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "So what's with loverboy's sudden obsession with Hermione?" he added, hoping to get some information.

Harry frowned, wondering how much he should say to Seamus. Telling him that Draco kissed Hermione was out of the question.

"He's just worried about her," he said, shrugging the conversation aside.

Draco shrugged with indifference at Hermione's comment.

"Truth or dare?" he asked.

Hermione was really starting to hate that game.

"I didn't come here to play, Malfoy. I have other things to do, such as finishing my History of Magic essay that you refuse to help with!" whispered Hermione crossly.

Draco gave her a look that clearly stated that he didn't believe her.

"I fulfilled my dare so now it's your turn. That's how the game goes," he insisted.

His cheeks turned slightly pink as he remembered his dare a few days ago.

Hermione merely rolled her eyes at him.

"I came here for work," lied Hermione as she nervously played with the strap on her bag.

"Yes, History of Magic and Herbolgy have a lot in common," said Draco as he picked up a book from a shelf. Hermione blushed and she knew she was caught.

"Besides, shouldn't we work on the essay together," Draco said, raising an eyebrow at Hermione.

He slammed the book shut and a cloud of dust appeared. Hermione eyed him suspiciously as she waved her hand in front of her face, the dust making her cough.

"Since when were you ever interested of actually helping me with this essay?" she asked.

"Well I can't have you ruin my mark now, can I?" answered Draco.

He started to walk the other way but after a few seconds stopped, seeing that Hermione wasn't following. He gave an impatient sigh and walked back to her, muttering about "dumb Gryffindor" and "smart as a rock."

"What's your problem?" asked Hermione confused.

But Draco merely grabbed her bag and started to walk the same direction as before.

"What in the world do you think you're doing?" asked Hermione annoyed as she tried to take her bag away from Draco's grasp.

"I'm taking you somewhere, Granger. Now shut up, this is a library in case you haven't noticed," answered Draco, pulling her bag harder just to spite her.

_Oh as if I didn't know that,_ Hermione thought, feeling incredibly annoyed.

"Malfoy, stop it, you're going to rip it," whispered the brown hair girl angrily, tugging at the other end.

Of course _she_ wouldn't let go. She had every right to hold her own bag.

"Do you want me to grab you by the hair then?" asked Draco sarcastically.

But before Hermione could response, there was a loud ripping sound. The strap on the bag had torn in two and everything inside the bag went spilling to the floor.

Parchments floated to the ground, while inkbottles crashed against the ground. A black stain spread through the carpet, soaking the parchments that had landed.

"Oh no!" moaned Hermione in horror.

She tried to grab all her papers before it touched the ink.

"What is wrong with you children? That mess better be cleaned up in one minute or less I will give you detention. You're lucky not a drop touched a book. If I even hear you breath too loudly, I will kick you out!" hissed Madam Pince who suddenly was beside the distraught Hermione.

Hermione nodded and sniffed, tears welling in her brown eyes as she stared down at the parchment she couldn't save.

"I'm very sorry Madam Pince," she muttered.

She was expecting Draco to apologize as well. Hermione waited to hear Draco's apology but it never came. She glanced at him to see him with his usual smirk on his face.

But unfortunately Madam Pince didn't hear Hermione's apology. Her eyes zoned in on a young boy folding one of the pages of a large book he was holding somewhere to her right. Screeching in anger, she left the two, momentarily forgetting them and their mess.

"You are going to wish that you were never born, Malfoy," hissed Hermione with as much venom as she could muster.

She clenched her fists tightly, wishing that she could punch him, making him fly across the room. All that hard work she did, staying up until two in the morning, burying herself in so many books searching for more information, was for absolutely nothing. At that very moment, Hermione loathed Draco Malfoy.

_This is completely his fault_, she thought angrily as she willed herself not to cry in frustration.

But her anger only mounted when she saw him still smirking…at her.

"Something wrong, Granger?" he asked, his hands behind his back.

"Don't act like you don't know what you just did. You ruined everything! Especially my finished essay for Transfiguration," said Hermione, her voice sounding more like a growl.

_I usually don't use violence to end my problems but today I'll make a big exception_, she thought.

"Now, now Mudblood-" Hermione reached for her wand hearing this," I mean Granger," added Draco hastily, " there's no need for you to be upset,"

Hermione let out a long humorless laugh.

"Malfoy, you ruined my essay that was due for tomorrow. That took me _days_. How can I not be upset?" she asked but Draco held something that he had been hiding behind his back.

Hermione's eyes widened as she stared at her Transfiguration essay clutched tightly in his hand.

"Truth or dare, Granger? You know I wasn't going to let that _little incident_ a while back go without my revenge," he said, grinning evilly.

(A/N: Wow, it's been a long time since I've updated. So sorry! I hope this chapter was interesting and chapter 4 won't take that long to make. Any reviews? Love to read them!

Chapter 4 (a little preview)

"Of course Malfoy, because it's you who's suffering, not _me_," hissed Hermione angrily.

"Don't try to talk your way out of this, Granger. A dare is a dare and you are going to do it," replied Draco, his gray eyes gleaming.

Not much but there you go.

Bye for now,

blue sapphire lady)


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Truth or Dare

Previously on chapter 3…

Hermione's eyes widened as she stared at her Transfiguration essay clutched tightly in his hand.

"Truth or dare, Granger? You know I wasn't going to let that _little incident_ a while back go without my revenge," he said, grinning evilly.

Disclaimer: Check chapter 1.

A/N: You guys always surprise me with your wonderful reviews! A thousand apologies and a bag of chocolate and candies for the reviews I haven't answered yet! I'll get to them as soon as I can. I'm hoping to post once a week, not sooner or later (even that is proving to be difficult). Well, on to chapter 4;)

Chapter 4

Back and forth, Hermione's brown eyes looked at Draco's smirking and triumphant face to her Transfiguration essay clutched tightly in his hand, as though what she was seeing wasn't true. This continued to happen until Draco's gloating expression dissolved into annoyance.

"Would you stop doing that? Yes, _your _Transfiguration essay is in _my_ hand," Draco whispered, losing his patience.

Hearing this, the brown hair girl scowled darkly, a faint blush staining her cheeks. She glared at the blonde teenage boy who had been causing so many problems for her for the last few days.

"Give me my essay, Malfoy," said Hermione warningly, her voice barely over a whisper.

Her expression was serious and her eyes were spitting fire. Her hair seemed more alive, looking five times bigger and untamed than usual. Draco resisted the urge to note that out loud just to get a reaction from her, knowing that he wouldn't leave the library uninjured.

"Pardon me? What did you say?" asked Draco instead. He raised one hand dramatically to his ear, pretending that he didn't hear anything.

"I said," said Hermione clenching her teeth, not finding his acting humorous, "give me my essay."

"I'm sorry but I can't do that," answered Draco. The corner of his lips turned upwards to form an evil smile as he swung Hermione's essay in front of her face. Hermione narrowed her eyes.

_Just wait until he least expects it_, she thought.

Quick as a cat, Hermione's arms shot up. Her fingers were outstretched and ready to grab her essay out of harm's way. Unfortunately for her, Draco's Quidditch reflexes were much quicker and grabbed the essay just out of her reach.

Hermione swore under her breath, ignoring Draco's raised eyebrow.

"My, my Granger. Now it's turned to swearing and violent behavior, has it?" he asked, feigning shock. His amused, gloating expression suddenly turned serious, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

_I wish I never met him,_ thought Hermione, cursing her luck. _Why did I have to go miss History of Magic?_

"Now back to other important things. First off, let's go somewhere _private_," whispered Draco.

_Why make it easier for him?_ thought Hermione suddenly.

"Actually, I'm quite fine here," responded Hermione, firmly planting her feet on the ground as proof.

Draco shrugged his shoulders as if he could care less. His eyes never leaving Hermione's stubborn face, he ripped off a corner of her essay. The little piece of parchment floated in the air until it lightly landed on the ground.

Hermione's eyes widened in horror, then narrowed in fury. Her small hands furled tightly into slightly shaking fists.

"Oops, did I do that?" asked Draco with fake concern plastered on his face.

Before Hermine could say or do anything, Madame Pince walked over to their direction.

"Do I need to show you two a table? Come here," said Madame Pince, yanking Hermione and Draco's arm as she quietly marched to the other side of the library.

After a minute of two of passing by dozens of bookshelves and the Restricted Section (Madame Pince gave the two a glare as though telling them not to even try anything funny), the three reached a secluded table by a large window.

"Sit," ordered Madame Pince, immediately letting go of their arms.

With a sigh, Hermione sat down, not making eye contact with Draco nor Madame Pince. Draco glared back at Madame Pince, clearly not liking the way she had clawed at his arm.

Hermione placed her parchment and inkbottles on the table, giving the idea that she was about to work and wanted to be alone. But the towering stick figure of Madame Pince didn't budge nor waver. A pair of hawk eyes drilled into Hermione's head until Hermione looked up.

"Is there something you need?" asked Hermione in a cold polite voice.

"What class are you attending now?" asked Madame Pince, with equal amount of coldness.

"History of Magic," answered Hermione. Her eyes widened, realizing what she had just done.

"I mean, we usually have History of Magic right but-" stuttered Hermione.

No believable lie came to mind and she started to panic.

"Professor Binns gave us special permission to come to the library to work of a project," drawled Draco, looking bored. He was staring at his nails as if nothing else surrounding him was interesting enough for his attention.

Madame Pince turned her glare to the blonde boy, suspicious.

"Is that true?" she asked, shooting Hermione a quick glance.

Hermione nodded nervously and gave a small smile.

"I guess I'll just have to ask Professor Binns to make sure," noted Madame Pince.

Hermione's smile vanished from her face.

"You shouldn't do that," she blurted before she could help herself. Draco looked up, his fingernails forgotten.

_I never knew that Grange was such a terrible liar, _he thought rolling his eyes.

Madame Pince, who was about to leave, turn sharply and snapped at the brown hair Gryffindor girl.

"Why would you say that?" Madame Pince's tone was anything but pleasant.

_Time to have some fun,_ thought Draco wickedly.

Making as little movement as possible, Draco snaked his right arm under the table. His hand reached out for Hermione's knee. He grinned inwardly when Hermione jumped, sending her shocked gaze to him. Draco disguised amusement and gave a look of utter boredom. But his gray eyes were silently dancing with mirth.

"You haven't answered my question," barked Madame Pince. For a librarian, she was certainly loud.

Hermione blushed a dark red. The words had been on the tip of her tongue but she suddenly forgotten what she was going to say. The only thing she could focus at the moment was Draco's warm hand on her knee. Slowly but surely, the blonde Slytherin started to pull down her sock.

_What in the world does Malfoy think he's doing_? she thought furiously.

"I…I…" stuttered Hermione, making a complete fool of herself.

Draco's hand slowly trailed upwards, the tip of his fingers touching the hem of her skirt. He started to draw letters very slowly against Hermione's smooth skin.

T.

R.

U.

The brown hair girl started to gape like a goldfish.

"Professor B-B-Binns gave u-us a a n-note of p-p-permission," said Hermione, her eyes looking at her inkbottle.

T.

H.

"Oh really?" asked Madame Pince. It wasn't hard to note the sarcasm or disbelief dripping from her voice.

O.

R.

"Yes," Hermione gulped nervously. She prayed under her breath for Madame Pince's quick departure.

She sent Draco a baleful glance, wishing to do him extreme harm for putting her into this situation.

D.

If Hermione hadn't been so angry, she would have rolled her eyes at Draco's tactic of communicating. Hermione casually placed a hand under the table and tried to push Draco's hand away.

A.

R.

E.

Hermione clenched and unclenched her teeth.

_Damn him,_ she thought, cursing under her breath.

Draco had unexpectedly stopped drawing on Hermione's thigh and grabbed her hand instead. Escaping out of his iron grip was proving very difficult while looking innocent under Madame Pince's questioning glare.

"May I see this note that you talk about?" asked Madame Pince, a hand in front of Hermione's face.

Draco forced Hermione to draw one last thing on her thigh.

The Gryffindor girl flinched and moved away, pushing the chair noisily against the marble ground. Seeing this Madame Pince's nostrils flared.

"I don't have all day, girl," warned the librarian. Her patience was coming to an end.

Draco grinned at the flushed Gryffindor.

_She's a bit cute actually_, he thought as he silently observed her.

Draco stiffened suddenly, his hand letting go of Hermione's hand.

_What the hell? Did I just…Granger…cute?!_ thought Draco horrified. _What is wrong with me?! _

When Draco's hand had slid off Hermione's knee, she couldn't help but look his way. Unfortunately for her, Madame Pince caught on and stared at the silent blonde Slytherin.

"Do you have the note?" she asked impatiently.

"Of course not. I gave it to you earlier when I came inside," answered Draco coldly, eyeing the librarian with distaste and annoyance.

_Why is she still here?_ he thought, irritated.

Before Madame Pince could answer, a huge ripping sound echoed in the library. The librarian's head snapped to the direction of the noise, her eyes alert. Without another word or glance, Madame Pince ran past bookshelves and out of sight.

Making sure that no students were lurking near by, Hermione glared darkly at Draco.

"I hate you," she said, her eyes watering.

_I will not cry in front of him. I will not cry in front of him,_ she repeated over and over again. She hastily wiped the angry moisture from her eyes, wishing that she never had met Draco Malfoy.

"Are you going to cry?" taunted Draco, showing no pity or sympathy.

Hermione said nothing.

"Why don't you think about my feelings for once?" he continued sarcastically.

"Of course Malfoy, because it's you who's suffering, not _me_," hissed Hermione angrily.

"Don't try to talk your way out of this, Granger. A dare is a dare and you are going to do it," replied Draco, his gray eyes gleaming.

"I never agreed to any stupid dare to begin with so you can forget it!" exclaimed Hermione, her voice getting louder and louder.

Draco put a finger to his mouth and made a shushing sound.

"Quiet Granger. Don't want the big bad bully to come over again, would you?" he said, his lips turning upwards.

"You know what? You can't force me to stay here, Malfoy," whispered Hermione and starting stuffing her things in her bag in a violent manner. Draco raised his eyebrow, calmly watching the infuriated Hermione.

Just when she was about to stomp away out of sight, Draco cleared his throat.

"I guess I'll have fun burning this," he said, fanning her Transfiguration essay with his hand.

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and slowly but unwillingly turned around. Without making eye contact, she made her way back to the table and dumped her things on a chair. Falling ungracefully down on another chair, Hermione muttered under her breath. Draco smirked and leaned forward.

"Truth or dare?" he asked once more, his voice so soft that Hermione had hardly heard it.

Hermione thought for a moment, pursing her lips.

"Dare," she whispered finally, wanting to get it over with.

"Granger, I dare you to kiss me," said Draco, his voice barely over a whisper.

A/N: Now things are going to get interesting! Don't have much to say except review!

blue sapphire lady


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Truth or Dare

Previously on chapter 4…

"Dare," she whispered finally, wanting to get it over with.

"Granger, I dare you to kiss me," said Draco, his voice barely over a whisper.

A/N: Once again, you guys astound me with all of the reviews! Thanks so much!

Chapter 5

Silence followed.

Hermione stared at the blonde teenage boy as her face twisted into an expression of disbelief. Her eyes drilled holes into Draco's as her expression of disbelief melted to a furious glare. Anger dominated the fading shock that was now swirling in Hermione's chocolate brown eyes as her mouth hung open.

Draco could faintly hear the ticking of his watch.

"You want me to do _what_?" Hermione asked, at last finding her voice.

"You heard what I said, Granger. Don't play stupid with me," answered Draco, his voice thick with impatience.

A frown appeared on Hermione's smooth forehead as her lips tightened into a firm line.

It was then and there that Draco realized seeing Hermione angry was…fascinating to say at the very least. His observant eyes left Hermione's that were spitting fire and landed on her thin lips that were still in a frown.

Hermione couldn't help but eye her surroundings suspiciously. She silently prayed that this was all a huge and embarrassing prank. Half expecting to see the bulky figures of Crabbe and Goyle hiding behind a bookshelf or reading a book, Hermione found herself disappointed to see no one lurking nearby. The mere idea of one of Draco's bodyguards reading would have made Hermione snort with laughter. Unfortunately her sense of humor had quickly died and Hermione was putting all the blame onto her essay theft sitting right in front of her, for her lack of humor. She came to the undeniable conclusion that there was only herself and the clearly insane and unstable Draco. Which in fact, made her less than happy.

"You don't have all day, Granger," said Draco, the faintest of blushes appearing on his face as he stared long and hard at his fingers. He tapped his long thin fingers against the wooden table.

_Why should I feel embarrassed? So what if I was looking at her lips_, Draco thought, feeling angry at himself.

Hermione suddenly became distracted with the noise Draco was making with his fingers.

_He knows how much I hate that_, she thought, grinding her teeth together.

"Stop that," she ordered.

"Stop what?" asked Draco, glancing up briefly to meet Hermione's gaze. He immediately looked down.

_Why am I acting like a little schoolgirl?!_ the blonde teenage boy fumed silently.

"Stop that annoying habit of drumming your fingers against the table," responded Hermione, showing more annoyance than she would have liked.

Draco snorted darkly. This conversation was getting all too familiar.

"I will if you kiss me," he said boldly, staring straight into Hermione's eyes, this time locking her gaze with his.

Hermione couldn't help but blush at his bold demand. The blood rushing to her face made her look anything but relaxed and calm. Her heart sputtered to an infuriating pace.

"Would you stop saying that out loud?" she hissed, feeling horrified.

Draco merely smirked. He was pleased that he was making the brown hair girl more than a bit nervous.

_Serves her right. She'll never understand the humiliation I went through with that stupid dare_, thought Draco.

"Well, if you don't want me to repeat it over and over again, there's really only one solution. Come here and finish your dare. Do it," he said arrogantly. He leaned against his chair, a smug expression written on his aristocratic features.

Hermione blushed a dark red and she scowled at the relaxed teenager only a few feet away.

If it had been any other person daring her to complete a similar task, Hermione would have done it. If it were Harry, she would have just thought of it as a friendly, brotherly sisterly kiss. Although personally Hermione wasn't the sort of person who kissed her mother and father on the lips, she had seen people do it several times before.

With Ron, it would have been awkward dealing with his insensitive and immature self. In the end, Hermione would be able to live with the fact that she did such a thing.

With Draco, Hermione cringed at the very thought. After all those times when he insulted her, she was supposed to forget about it and kiss him?!

_I think not_, thought Hermione defiantly. She remembered her Transfiguration essay and she hesitated. _I've never handed anything late before. What would Professor McGonagoll think of me?_

While Hermione silently thought over what she was suppose to do, Draco calmly eyed Hermione. He knew that the odds were in his favor and he loved every minute watching Hermione squirm in her seat.

_Who would have thought that taunting Granger was so much fun?_ he wondered silently.

"First," said Hermione suddenly, breaking Draco from his thoughts, "you have to apologize about- you know…"

Draco smirked. He had a good idea of what the Gryffindor was talking about.

"No, I'm sorry I don't understand," he answered back. Hermione's eyes narrowed, obviously not finding it funny.

"You know what I'm talking about, Malfoy. When you-you-you-" started Hermione, stuttering so much, Draco half wondered if Madam Pince was behind him.

"Yes?" he asked, knowing that he was only making it worse.

"When you were touching my thigh!" she finally whispered, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. Hermione suddenly realized how dirty it sounded and her face turned as red as Ron's hair.

"What? Really?" asked Draco, as though trying very hard to remember that.

"Yes, really," Hermione answered furiously through clenched teeth.

"Are you sure it isn't a figment of your imagination? Wishing for that to really happen?" wondered Draco evilly.

Once again, he brought his arm under the table. Finding Hermione's thigh, he started to trace something on her skin.

_So warm and smooth,_ he thought vaguely.

Under Hermione's lava hot glare, Draco gave her his most arrogant smirk.

K.

I.

S.

"You write another word and I'll break your finger," warned Hermione.

S.

"That's it!" she yelled.

She snatched Draco's hand before he could yank it away. A few dozen bookshelves away, heads turned, wondering if they had just heard someone yell. In another part of the castle, another yell accompanied Hermione's.

"Ron!" cried Harry exasperatedly.

Harry never though that he would ever consider History of Magic a place more interesting, but now he was. A long lesson of the goblins revolution was souding very enticing. Harry was standing in the middle of a girls bathroom, pleading for his red head friend to retrieve some of the common sense that he had left behind.

"Busy Harry," came Ron's impatient response.

"We've been going to every girls bathroom that we pass by," whined Seamus as he stood on the sink.

Something mysteriously green was stuck to his shoes and he was trying to wash it off as he put his shoe under the cold shooting water.

"I don't think that's a good idea," suggested Harry darkly.

His patience with Ron was thinning but with Seamus, it was dropping to a near zero. Seamus had invited himself to their little excursion around the castle and every comment that came out of Seamus' mouth was making Harry grind his teeth.

"Why's that, Harry?" asked Seamus as he turned the tap full blast.

"Because you're flooding the place. My socks are already wet from the over flowing water from the last bathroom we were at," pointed Harry angrily.

"Wasn't my fault," answered Seamus, shrugging.

"I'm sure it wasn't," answered Harry, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He turned to see his best friend walking to the door.

"Let's go," muttered Ron under his breath, not waiting for the others to catch up. Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes and his friend's immaturity but followed nonetheless.

_Why doesn't he say that he likes Hermione?_ He wondered silently. _I'll never understand those two._

Ron opened the door, nearly hitting Harry square on the head.

"Ron, you have to calm down," advised Harry, not liking how the red head's mood was going from bad to worse. But Ron didn't hear him -Harry doubted that Seamus could hear him either- as Ron slammed the door with all his might.

The noise echoed and Harry hit his palm against his forehead in frustration.

_I bet Filch heard that_, he thought.

"What's his problem?" asked Seamus, looking up from his shoe.

Harry bit back a retort that he was dying to say and slowly opened the door, making sure that no one was coming.

"Harry, wait for me!" cried Seamus, not liking the idea of being found in a girls bathroom. He jumped down the fountain, forgetting to turn off the tap.

The door slammed loudly in response.

"Really Granger, you shouldn't worry. You hardly have any lips at all," Draco drawled. He didn't know why he said that; he just needed to hear his own voice after Hermione's long lecture. Draco felt a flicker of guilt but almost immediately stamped it down. He just _couldn't_ and _wouldn't _be nice to her. Never.

_I should never feel guilty whatever I say about Granger_, he thought, inwardly frowning.

He knew that she would never feel the humiliation of kissing an enemy without experiencing first hand. He wanted her to feel the shame burning inside of her. He wanted her to feel helpless, unable to tell any of her friends. Draco wanted to humiliate Hermione like she had humiliated him at his _own_ game. The only difference was that this time Draco was going to make it a thousand times more horrible. _He always won his games._ And Hermione Granger wasn't going to make him look like a fool any longer.

But that couldn't explain why Draco's eyes were still resting upon the furious Gryffindor's lips.

Upon hearing his insult, Hermione felt a stab and it reflected in her eyes. Just as fast as it came, it was gone and Hermione looked livid. Her hands clenched and unclenched several times.

Draco didn't know how it happened so quickly but he was suddenly clutching his nose. He bit down his lip to stop the swearing that wanted to escape from his mouth. Eyes watering and equally angry, he looked up to see Hermione wearing a satisfied smile.

Hermione's smile slowly grew, proud of the work she created. She was surprised at how fast she threw her ball of yarn that she found in her bag.

"What the hell, Granger? Did you just throw _yarn_ at me?" growled Draco furiously.

He rubbed his nose, hissing as he touched the tip. He nearly cried out as he noticed blood staining his fingers. Draco quickly wiped the tears with his sleeve, that were threatening to spill and glared darkly at his abuser.

Hermione's smile was wiped clean from her face, her eyes leaving no signs of amusement. They grew big, soaking in the rather long cut on Draco's nose.

The blonde Slytherin abruptly stood up, knocking down his chair in the process. There was a gleam in his eyes. Seeing this. Hermione leaned against her chair, her eyes slightly wide and uncertain. By her sudden stiff posture, Draco could see that she was hesitant at the idea of close proximity with a person whose look could kill. Draco's eyes were dark, just like the sky just before the arrival of a tornado. And Hermione felt like she had just put herself in the center.

Taking only a few strides, Draco was at Hermione's right, his face only inches away from her won. His face looked like stone, so white and smooth. Only his eyes sparkled with life. They held a dangerous glint, fill of a dark promise that Hermione didn't want to be a part of. It seemed that the scowl on Draco's face was suddenly permanent.

The blood continued to trickle down his nose. If the situation wasn't so serious, Hermione would have started laughing uncontrollably. The rare expression that Draco wore made the laughter die in Hermione's throat. Timidly, as though afraid to make any noise whatsoever, Hermione cleared her dry, patched throat. She twisted and untwisted her fingers while she bit her lip apprehensively. It wouldn't have been so bad if Hermione didn't feel _guilty_.

"You see what you did to me?" asked Draco, his voice so soft that the brown hair girl had to strain to hear. Hermione unconsciously held her breath, her eyes transfixed on Draco's as his eyes pierced the Gryffindor's with no mercy.

"There must have been a needle sticking out. I'm sorry," muttered Hermione, moving back. The guilt of hurting another student (no matter how annoying and irritating that student was) was accelerating and so was regret.

She did not, however, like the look in Draco's eyes and having so close was more than a little bit uncomfortable. Unfortunately, Draco didn't like Hermione's idea of space and inched further. His breath was tickling her nose and Hermione looked down.

She couldn't help but feel like a prey waiting for its doom. The way Drac stared down at her with such raw intensity looked as though he would strike any minute.

Draco showed no sign of forgiveness.

"Why don't I do the same to you?" he suggested quietly. Hermione snapped her neck back, her eyes finding his, full of disbelief.

"What?" she asked, her voice laced with shock. Her voice shook slightly and underneath Draco didn't miss another emotion. Fear.

He used his sleeve once again to wipe off the blood from his face.

"You aren't serious, Malfoy," said Hermione, sounding more as though she was trying to convince herself.

"Does it look like I'm joking, Granger? Does it look like I'm laughing?" questioned Draco, leaning even further.

A blush appeared on Hermione's cheeks as she moved as far back as she could without falling over.

An evil smirk played on Draco's lips as he leaned even further, ignoring Hermione's faint and jumbled complaints about personal space.

"This time, I'll choose the spot," said Draco.

Hermione's eyes widened, the hidden message of his words sinking in.

_He'd never do such a low thing_, Hermione thought but she couldn't push away her fear of the possibility that he could.

She did the first thing that came into mind. Without another thought, Hermione pressed her lips against Draco's. Quickly she pulled back, feeling very disgusted with herself. Her blush intensified ten times more as she averted her eyes, landing them on the table wishing she could disappear.

Understanding what she did made her inwardly cringe and flinch.

_Why? I'm so stupid. I could have used my wand or something_, Hermione thought horrified at her action.

There was a long pause. Hermione didn't dare look at anything else but the table.

"I can't believe it worked," said Draco finally. Hearing this, Hermione looked at him, fearing the worst.

Draco was staring down at her, the anger gone from his eyes. He was openly…gloating.

"What?" asked Hermione.

"I can't believe it worked," marveled Draco, sounding more like he was talking to himself.

Hermione continued to look confuse until realization finally dawned on her. Hermione's expression darkened and her eyes blazed with anger.

"It was a trick," she said. It wasn't a question but a fact. Truth slapped her hard as hot blood filled her face.

Draco watched her, a hint of curiosity and interest mixed with his glee.

"For a smart witch, you're awfully dumb," he continued to boast.

"It was a trick," repeated Hermione angrily, her voice slowly mounting an octave higher.

"I'm having some hard time to believe it myself. Who would have ever thought?" noted a third voice behind the two.

Hermione tensed immediately, her body stiff and still. Her eyes reflected her shock as her blood ran cold. Dread washed over her as she slowly turned around to meet the owner of the third voice. She prayed it wasn't a Slytherin. But then again, things weren't going the way she wanted. They never did.

End of chapter 5

A/N: I feel very horrible for keeping you guys waiting that long! My computer completely broke down and we had to get a new one, which unfortunately took some time. So I made this chapter way longer than the usual ones (I'm quite proud of his chapter actually). Hopefully your interest in this story is still alive and maybe a few reviews? I promise to answer everyone! If I made any grammar mistakes, please tell me! Until next time!

Blue sapphire lady


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Truth or Dare

A/N: My very late Christmas present.

Previously on Chapter 5…

"I'm having some hard time to believe it myself. Who would have ever thought?" noted a third voice behind the two.

Hermione tensed immediately, her body stiff and still. Her eyes reflected her shock as her blood ran cold. Dread washed over her as she slowly turned around to meet the owner of the third voice. She prayed it wasn't a Slytherin. But then again, things weren't going the way she wanted. They never did.

Chapter 6

Light traveled through the thick glass of the large window, generously brighting the once dull and darkened section of the library. Unfortunately, the sudden donation of light didn't affect the tainted atmosphere that hung heavily in the air.

No matter how much light danced pleasantly on Draco and Hermione's faces, their shocked expressions didn't shy away. No smile dare approach their mouths.

Absolute silence followed the third speaker's remark. It was at that moment that Hermione cursed her luck once more. She wished she could disappear into thin air to save herself from the embarrassment and humiliation. Judging by the person's tone, Hermione seriously doubted that it was a Gryfindor or a Hufflepuff. She wouldn't give herself such fake hope.

_This is all Malfoy's fault_, she blamed the blond silently. It seemed that trouble was always two steps behind the blond Slytherin and now it had made it a part of Hermione's company.

The poor Gryffindor's heart was squeezed unkindly by fear of being discovered _kissing_ Draco. Her heart was still suffering from Draco's act only moments ago. In what seemed to be a habit that day, Hermione's heart pounded rather painfully in her chest.

The young Gryffindor locked her gaze with the mysterious third person. Chocolate brown eyes widened as they soaked in _his_ appearance. Her heart skipped a beat.

It was Blaise Zabini.

_Oh crap_, thought Hermione, tempting the silent offer of swearing. Her face twisted and finally settled on an expression of horror.

Seconds ticked by and the troubled Gryffindor suddenly realized with embarrassment that she had uttered her thought out loud

Blaise seemed to enjoy Hermione's discomfort to say the least. He stood leaning casually against a bookshelf, arms crossed in front of his chest. His Slytherin badge was gleaming menacingly in the light, the snake looking as though it would strike any moment. The corners of Blaise's mouth turned upwards, giving Hermione a full smirk. Mischief and arrogance were sealed in his eyes. It was a combination Hermione wished was never there.

Silence crawled by.

The other two, on the other hand, temporarily forgot Draco. This fact didn't sit very well with him. After his initial shock wore off, Draco stared blankly at his fellow classmate. He eyed Hermione, who was at his right. The blond Slytherin didn't know if he should stay annoyed or laugh out loud at Hermione's petrified state.

_For crying out loud, she looks like she was caught robbing a store_, he thought, taking one glance at Hermione.

Draco decided on rolling his eyes.

"How nice to see you, Zabini. Rudely listening to other people's conversations as usual?" asked Draco boldly, his eyes daring Blaise to object. The blond had his hands in his pockets and coolly regarded his fellow Slytherin member.

_What am I going to do?_ cried Hermione quietly.

The second time that day, no believable lie approached Hermione's tongue as she stuttered for ideas. Out of the corner of his eye, Draco couldn't help but conclude that she looked like a small animal trapped in a corner.

"What makes you think I was listening to a conversation? What I saw didn't need words," replied Bliase smoothly.

His smirk widened as the color drained from Draco's face. Panic seeped through Hermione's horrified expression. The scandalized surprise was still visible upon Blaise's face.

His eyes moved from a furious Draco to the panic stricken Hermione several times. It was as if he was searching for a hint, a clue, to tell him what was _really_ going on.

"Who would have thought? Malfoy with the Mudblood," Blaise said quietly to no one in particular.

Hermione felt like she had been slapped in the face. The word that Blaise had chosen to address her made the bookworm's blood suddenly boil. Her hands balled into fists. The panic that had played on Hermione's features was now gone. Righteous fury sparkled in her eyes, sending Blaise a lava hot glare.

"Excuse me?" asked Hermione. Her voice barely over a whisper, immediately ending the conversation between the two Slytherins.

Draco turned to stare at the suddenly furious Gryffindor standing beside him. The tone of her voice had surprised him. He had been expecting to hear Hermione stutter some sort of reply that didn't make any sense whatsoever. It was now Draco's turn to smirk as he returned his gaze back at Blaise. The blond Slytherin did have a retort ready to lash out of pure annoyance but he held it back.

Draco decided that watching Hermione beat the crap out of Blaise was better entertainment.

"Is there something wrong, Mudblood?" asked Blaise, using the offending word once more. His voice dripped of fake concern.

"Yes, there is something wrong. And it's you," hissed Hermione, her eyes flashing.

_Well, straight to the point then_, observed Draco.

Blaise merely raised an eyebrow.

"It doesn't sit with me that you sue that word to address me," said Hermione with a warning tone.

Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

_She's mad and she's being polite?! Granger, what the hell is wrong with you?_ thought Draco. He observed silently that the Gryffindor girl was much more _verbal_ around him than with most.

"Oh really?" asked Blaise, mockery thick in his voice. His handsome face twisted into a sneer.

In a split second, the tip of Hermione's wand was pointed at Blaise's sudden serious face. His eyes darkened, almost pitch black as he regarded Hermione with suppressed cold fury.

"Didn't think she'd do that," muttered Draco under his breathe.

"You wouldn't dare," he whispered, his voice rich with conceit.

"Funny how that game always pops up in the most unexpected situations," answered Hermione, a small devilish smile playing on her lips. Draco couldn't help but snort out loud.

Draco stared at Hermione, feeling rather awed and impressed. Never did he think that Hermione had the guts to raise a wand to a Slytherin. But seeing Blaise's expression, Hermione's reward wasn't going to be pleasant. Draco knew he had to intervene.

A devilish smile of his own lit up his face as he strutted confidently towards the two. Draco cleared his throat to have the attention diverted to _him_. Unfortunately Blaise and Hermione were currently locked in a glaring contest and the two barely acknowledge Draco's presence.

_Well that can't do_, he thought frowning.

Draco wrapped a strong arm around Hermione's waist and pushed her farther away from Blaise. Hermione's wand slipped from her fingers and clattered noisily against the ground. Blaise raised both eyebrows upon seeing this act of affection. Inwardly surprised, she saw that neither the two Slytherins made any movements to retrieve her wand.

"You caught Granger at a bad moment, Zabini. Don't you know how hard it is to hear _someone like her_ confess their love for the third time?" asked Draco arrogantly.

Hermione, who had been threatening to curse Draco's arm off if he didn't let go, stopped suddenly. Eyes full of disbelief and shock, she raised her head up. Hermione gaped openly at the obnoxious blond who wouldn't let go of her.

"What?" asked Blaise and Hermione in unison, both voice laced with shock.

"She's in love with me. Why do you think she's always following me? She can't get enough of me," explained Draco.

He smirked at the stupefied and unbelieving expression on the usual calm and cool Blaise. Blaise was speechless. His eyes darted from Draco to Hermione and realization dawned on his face.

Hermione, meanwhile, wasn't going to be quiet after hearing _that_. The things that were coming out of Draco's mouth were the biggest crap Hermione had ever heard.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Malfoy? Have you lost your mind?" she said, her seething voice nearing a yell. Anger clouded her mind, making her forget that she was in a library.

"She's been trying to convince to be her boyfriend," continued Draco, his poisonous words attracting Blaise's full attention.

With the politeness of an angry cat that had been pushed too far, Hermione dug her nails into Draco's pale and smooth skin.

"Look at her. She's totally in lo-What do you think you're doing?!" yelled Draco, unable to ignore the shoots of pain coming from his arm.

He tore his gaze away from the attentive and watchful Blaise. He glared down at the brown haired girl, hoping the intimidate her. Amidst her persistent acts of trying to claw away from his grasp, Draco pushed the unwilling Hermione closer to him. Hermione glared defiantly back. She did not like being right in front of Draco Malfoy's chest.

_I don't even reach his chin_, she noted in frustration.

"Let me go, you liar! You jerk!" she hissed.

Hermione continued with the colorful insults, never stopping or giving it a rest. Draco inwardly scowled. He was quickly getting tired of Hermione's stubborn attitude.

Couldn't the stupid Gryffindor see that Draco was saving her? Even though he was primarily doing for his own fun. But that fact wasn't very important…

Apparently, the saved Gryffindor wasn't being very thankful.

Draco didn't mind seeing her violent behavior, as long as it wasn't directed at _him._

_I'll show her who's boss. There's no way I'm going to look like a fool in front of Zabini_, he thought with newfound determination.

Draco leaned closer and loosened his tight grip on the Gryffindor bookworm. Hermione stopped any movements and waited expectantly to be released. A blush crawled towards her face. She felt so embarrassed and weak as she was unable to free herself. If looks could kill, Hermione's glare would have finished the blond five minutes ago.

_She's like a human doll,_ thought Draco absentmindedly, feeling her body.

He realized that he kind of liked holding Hermione. Inwardly frowning, the Slytherin pushed that thought away into a small corner in his mind, feeling disgusted with himself. He was rewarded for touching Hermione so freely with a clawed hand.

"No."

The moment Draco had uttered that word; Blaise let out a snort but quickly covered it with a sudden cough. Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously until they looked like angry slits.

"Seems like the affectionate type," noted Blaise mockingly, finally finding his voice. "I must say she's not shy."

"No need to hide to anymore. Everyone will know that Weasley's not number one," said Draco and with an air of superiority added, "_Mudblood_."

Hermione stiffened immediately, her body now tensed. Different emotions swirled in her eyes before settling on one. Draco felt a shiver run through his body and his smirk faltered for a moment. The blond teenage boy was suddenly overcome with uneasiness. Hermione was staring at him with something very close to hate in her eyes. For some reason, it didn't sit very well with Draco.

A/N: I'm very proud of this chapter. The story is finally going faster. Very happy mood, but iwould be even more happy if I got some review…


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Truth or Dare

Title: Truth or Dare

Previously on Chapter 6…

"No need to hide to anymore. Everyone will know that Weasley's not number one," said Draco and with an air of superiority added, "_Mudblood_."

Hermione stiffened immediately, her body tensed. Different emotions swirled in her eyes before settling on one. Draco felt a shiver run through his body and his smirk faltered for a moment. The blond teenage boy was suddenly overcome with uneasiness. Hermione was staring at him with something very close to hate in her eyes. For some reason, it didn't sit very well with Draco.

Chapter 7

Draco waited expectantly to have the awful haired witch explode in her usual habit with her mouth lashing out words at an incredible speed (while still managing to sound like English) while her widened eyes would shoot daggers, taking Draco prisoner with her none too pleasant gaze. And Draco swore that each time Hermione's temper went unleash and amok (he always seemed to be around for some odd reason…), her notorious bird nest that lay on top of her head would suddenly look bigger. Her hair gave quite a good illusion of cackling with electricity, the mud brown strands reaching out to electrocute him. But strangely enough, not a singly audible sound escaped from the oddly quiet and still witch. Her lips were in the process of being tortured as they were pressed into an incredibly thin, tight line. If Draco hadn't been so worry as weither the Gryffindor would spontaneously claw out his eyes or not, the blond Slytherin wouldn't have refrained from noting out loud that Hermione was trying to eat her lips. He wisely kept the comment to himself while wondering if it was actually possible that he was about to witness a person go mad.

No one broke the roaring silence as time slowly ticked by. The uneasiness Draco had previously experienced only mere seconds ago, resurfaced. Fear nurtured the growing unease as Hermione continued sending unfriendly messages with her anger lit eyes.

With that said, Draco silently noted that Hermione wasn't going to perform her usual temper. Syaing that Hermione was mad was an understatement. She was absolutely livid. The last word Draco had uttered echoed in the witch's mind.

Mudblood.

Mudblood.

Mudblood.

Hermione's anger fed the thirsty fire burning behind her chocolate brown eyes as she envisioned images of Draco completely bald, his face exploded with pimples and wearing such horribly clothes that Dobby's pillowcase looked like Gucci material.

Draco willed himself not to take a step back. He fought the raging urge to check if all his hair was still sitting on his head and not the floor. Being to the receiving end of Hermione's scorching glare, the narcissistic Slytherin wondered if it was possible that Hermione could curse fast enough without him having the slightest idea.

_Relax,_ thought Draco, trying to soothe his nerves. _Granger strictly follows rules like a religious maniac._

"She looks mad," observed a voice mildly behind Draco. The blond couldn't help it, he jumped, his face portraying perfectly his surprise.

Luck seemed to have deserted him while he was airborne because the moment Draco landed, his large expensive Italian black leather shoes landed on Hermione's right foot. A shriek of outrage quickly followed and Draco winced inwardly. If Draco had been in any other situation, he would have sincerely thought that someone had foolishly tried to steal a precious valuable from a goblin. But no, that shriek of outrage that not only promised more to come but also shot down his disbelief that a _human being_ could make such a sound, came from the suddenly not-mute Hermione.

Now he'd done it.

_Why am I still holding her?_ thought Draco suddenly, seeing his unfortunate predicament in new light.

"You landed on my foot!" yelled a feminine voice in pure outrage, her tone blaming Draco as though he had just done a horrible deed.

The two both knew that it was just a distraction from what really was going to happen. Hermione had finally spoken in what felt like an eternity. Now that she started, there was no way Hermione was going to stop. The said witch kneeled down to try and ease the uncomfortably pain on her right foot while having a deep scowl in place.

"It seems so," observed the same mild voice with a hint of wicked amusement and satisfaction.

Draco turned around and was surprised (and quite annoyed) to see Blaise occupying the same space ten minutes ago. Draco tried to give his fellow Slytherin a silent message with his eyes to leave the library before it was too late but Blaise seemed rooted where he was. In fact, the handsome black wizard seemed fine and ignorant to Hermione's raising temper as he observed with a casual pose, his arms folded in front of his chest. Blaise's body was relaxed-except for his eyes. They were alert and bright, soaking everything happening so that no doubt the moment he left the library, the young Slytherin would do his good deed and spread the word like a disease. The black wizard was comfortably where he was and he wasn't going anywhere soon.

Draco's annoyance doubled until he realized what he was doing. Why would he try to save Blaise if he couldn't get himself out of this mess in the first place? It was such a Gryffindor thing to do.

But Draco's train of thought ended abruptly as Hermione's foot crashed onto his right foot. His foot throbbed with pain as Draco let out a yell.

"What the bloody hell was that for? Are you mad?" the blond Slytherin asked angrily.

Draco freed Hermione from his hold as he sat down on the cold marble floor and took off his shoe. He rubbed his foot (which was covered by a very beautiful green silk sock with a snake head on each toe) and shot the crazed witch a murderous glare of his own. His anger skyrocketed as Hermione looked down at him, the corners of her mouth lifted ever so slightly upwards while she raised one eyebrow.

"Pardon me," said Hermione, her voice coated with sugar as Draco's face contorted into a mask of fury. " It was an _accident_."

"That was no accident, you stupid cow. You did that on purpose!" hissed Draco, showing the maturity of a small child as he stabbed a finger in her direction.

Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously low at the words "stupid cow".

"Don't you just have a wonderful time insulting people_, ferret_! Always have to have new little nicknames because you're just too immature to handle anything like an adult," snapped Hermione venomsly.

"Oh yes _beaver_, I forgot you handle the situation just like an adult," replied Draco sarcastically.

"It's more than you could ever do!" hissed Hermione as she remembered she was in a library. She even made the oh so famous shushing noise, putting a single finger to her lips. That just irked Draco even more.

He opened his mouth to give a very_ loud _answer just for Hermione's sake, only to be distracted by the sight of his new Italian black leather shoe. Some sort of mysterious brown substance was smeared all over the expensive shoe. It was the exact spot where Hermione had stabbed Draco's foot with her quite heavy weight. Blood rushed to Draco's face as he slowly turned around to stare unbelievingly and furiously at his shoe-ruiner.

"How dare you?" he whispered ever so quietly that Hermione almost didn't hear him.

She was momentarily stunned by the expression painted on his face and what he had just said. Although she would admit that she was no psychic (unlike Professor Trelawney of course…), Hermione had been more prepared for insults flying her way. She unfortunately couldn't answer the simple and confusing question with a rather witty insult she had prepared.

"How dare I what?" asked Hermione, taking a small step back as Draco rose gracefully from the library floor. She would admit that he was taller than her (like most boys) but suddenly the blond Slytherin seemed to be looming over her.

Hermione's anger faltered for a moment as she inwardly wondered if she went too far. The Gryffindor witch almost instantly squashed down that idea.

_This is Malfoy we're talking about,_ she thought. _He's probably mad about his ruined shoe._

"How dare you ruined my shoe, that's what!" exclaimed Draco as though he was talking to a stupid, slow child.

Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Your shoe?" she asked, not bothering to hide her disbelief.

"Your shoe?" mimicked Draco in a false feminine voice. "Of course my shoe, you stupid cow!"

Hermione was really starting to hate that nickname Draco had unwisely given her. Draco however continued his rant.

"Do you have any idea how much this costs? This is _Italian_! This is _black_! This is _real leather_!" Draco practically screamed in Hermione's face. The sudden too close proximity made Hermione take a step back.

"Does it look like I care? It's just a shoe Malfoy, this isn't going to kill you. So stop yelling in my face!" replied Hermione with equal hostility.

Draco looked as though he was just slapped across the face.

"Just a shoe?" he echoed faintly. "Just a shoe? Well, why don't you just take a look at what's on my bloody shoe? Hmmm?"

The slightly baffled Hermione gave Draco a glance, questioning his sanity before grudgingly looking at the shoe Draco had practically shoved in front of her face. A couple of seconds ticked by before the Gryffindor witch looked back at Draco, only showing annoyance at being forced to smell the odor coming from the shoe.

"Well?" asked Draco impatiently, his storming gray eyes shooting daggers at Hermione.

"Well what?" Hermione snapped back, showing the same amount of politeness. "It's your fault you don't know how to wipe your own shoe."

"Oh yes, so sorry, of course I did this. It wasn't just some _cavewoman_ who was trying to cut off my foot," said Draco, his voice thick and heavy with sarcasm.

That's when Hermione exploded.

The young witch stabbed Draco's chest with her finger, her eyes blazing.

"I've had enough with all these insults! First you steal the Transfiguration essay that I worked on _alone_, and then you start insulting me by calling me Mudblood, beaver and stupid cow? And now you dare call me cavewoman?" hissed Hermione angrily as her stabbing quickened with each word.

"Look at my shoe!" Draco persisted, completely ignoring Hermione's outburst.

It was however another thing all together to ignore the continuous stabbing that seemed to have no end. Annoyed as hell, Draco smacked Hermione's hand away like it was a mosquito. That only fueled Hermione's temper.

"Don't touch me like that!" she commanded. That didn't sit well with Draco.

"Don't _you_ touch _me_ like that!" Draco snarled as he copied Hermione by stabbing her, this time on the forehead.

The two continued with their childish yet violent fight, Draco demanding each time for Hermione to wipe away the slime on the shoe while Hermione asked Draco a rather rude question (something useful she learned from Ron).

Blaise, who had been long forgotten in the shadows of the long library shelves, snorted with ill-disguised humor. That attracted the bickering "lovebirds" and ended their fight. Hermione cleared her throat nervously as a blush crept towards her cheeks while Draco glared at the silent Slytherin for interrupting him.

"Something funny Zabini?" asked Draco coldly.

Blaise's eyes looked at Draco's clutched shoe and back at the blond. He smirked.

"No, nothing at all. Too bad your girlfriend doesn't want to clean your shoe for you," replied Blaise.

Draco squashed down the urge to throw his shoe at the smirking black wizard. He might as well have wiggled his eyebrows up and down. The vain Slytherin muttered something that oddly sounded like "cavewoman".

_I'm just having a terrific day,_ Draco thought sarcastically. _Why doesn't someone hit me on the head?_

It seemed Fate was very sadistic as something heavy collided with the back of Draco's head. He swore he saw stars before slowly turning around to meet Hermione's unwavering glare. And he did something that he would regret later on.

"Mudblood, mudblood, mudblood," he chanted in a sing song voice.

Once again, Draco Malfoy became the righteous victim of Hermione's fast reflexes. This time, Draco's body seemed to be numb while his mind screamed at what was about to happen. Hermione raised her knee and her right foot crashed against Draco's left shin. While Draco gave a surprise yell, Hermione raised her leg once more, preparing for another attack. With all her might, she kicked her leg against Draco's shin. The blond Slytherin howled in pain. Draco fell down, his hands massaging his foot and shin. Tears sparkled in his eyes, threatening to spill down his cheeks where there lay a faint pink dusted on his cheeks.

"You'll be paying for that," he managed to gasp as he looked up at the now towering figure of his abuser.

Hermione regarded him angrily before replying, "That's what you get for creating lies and calling me inappropriate names,"

Without further ado, the Gryffindor raised her head up high and turned her heel. Not another word to either of the two young boys, she snatched her wand from the ground. Passing Blaise, Hermione saw that his eyes were fixed on the swearing Draco and he looked…awed. The tips of Hermione's mouth were dangerously close to turning upwards as she stopped at the table she shared with Draco, Blaise's expression painted in her mind's eye.

Hermone whipped around and caught Draco's eye.

"I'm not Jesus you know!" she said finally before turning around, missing his expression.

"Jesus? Jesus! What does Jesus have to do with this?!" cried Draco in an undignified voice, creaking enough to make Blaise wince. "I'll have you know _honey _that I won't forget this. You'll be getting a letter from my lawyer!"

Hermione stood straight unmoving, counting to ten under her breath while ignoring Draco's dark promises of kidnapping, Rita Skeeter and other unpleasant things.

As quickly as possible, Hermione retrieved her things and stuffed them in her bag. She momentarily stopped, her eyes zeroed on the lonely and unguardedTransfiguration essay that had caused her so much trouble. Hermione paused for a heartbeat before snatching the essay as though it was going to be stolen from her very eyes for the second time. Feeling like a thief, Hermione swung her bag across her shoulder and hurriedly walked away from the table and the two Slytherins without a single backwards glance.

Hermione's expression was stony and cold while inwardly the young witch felt gleeful. The young heroine suddenly had the urge to giggle. Giggle! After hitting Draco like he deserved, Hermione felt her cold expression slipping away.

She replayed what she had just done, her chest puffing with pride.

_That will teach him not to mess with me,_ Hermione thought victoriously, as she glorified in what she had done.

Draco was feeling three things at once. He was feeling damn proud that he had wiped the disbelief from Blaise's eyes. His fellow Slytherin had believed every single word coming out of his mouth while Hermione looked as though she was about to vomit. But unfortunately, the blond teenager also feared his life. That look of pure loathing Draco had received from the furious Hermione was anything but comforting. A flash of an image of himself being beaten to a pulp by a cheerful Ron, Harry and (_Oh dear Merlin_, thought Draco) _Hagrid_ made Draco flinched noticeably.

_Would she go run to Potty and Weasel? _he thought as he slowly got up from the library floor.

"You all right there?" asked Blaise, his voice hardly holding any sympathy or concern while snapping Draco from his thoughts.

"Of course not. She's a _girl _for crying out loud. _She cannot hurt me_," growled Draco angrily. He limped noticeably towards the table he had been sharing with _her_.

Draco made a silent oath to never say or think Hermione's name ever again. The crazed Gryffindor seemed to enjoy beating the injured Draco (although he had secretly liked hitting the brown haired witch on the forehead several times). It made him want to duck for cover and kick something at the same time. What was wrong with him? More importantly, what had she _done_ to him?

Hearing Draco's answer, Blaise snorted out loud. The angry blond gritted his teeth, hating the fact that his "friend" was effortlessly looking more graceful than _he_ did.

_Why the hell is the table so far away?_ Draco screamed silently as he continued to limp.

Draco's scowl deepened as he muttered profanities under his breath.

"That Gryffindor got you pretty good," noticed Blaise, walking straight beside the hunched Draco.

All Blaise received was a heated glare that could melt ice. A ghost of a smile was playing on the observer's lips. The mischief and arrogance reappeared in his eyes.

The prideful blond turned his gaze back to the table. The pain from his foot and shin hadn't died down like Draco had hoped. His wand was useless now, serving no purpose since Draco didn't know a single medical spell. He seriously doubted that Blaise would do such an act of friendship even if he begged. Draco could tell that Blaise would rather see Hermione beat him up again.

Draco stopped short, his eyes searching the table.

Gray eyes widened.

He swore loudly.

"What?" asked Blaise, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

He followed Draco's unmoving gaze and another pair of eyes landed on the table. Confusion briefly touched Blaise's face before his expression of boredom dominated.

"So?" he asked, clearly not understanding the reason behind Draco's reaction.

Draco swore under his breath once more.

"_What_?" repeated Blaise, this time openly annoyed.

Blaise Zabini was known for being patient but after seeing a few events, he certainly didn't want to miss anything.

_She got me_, thought Draco, his anger mounting.

Having enough of hearing Blaise repeat the same question, Draco spoke.

"She took her Transfiguration essay," he explained. Unfortunately for the blond, his vague explanation didn't satisfy Blaise.

"So?" repeated Blaise, a frown appearing on his beautiful face.

Draco resisted the urge to punch the Slytherin standing beside him. He opened his mouth ready to give another rudely vague explanation when he suddenly closed his mouth shut.

_What am I suppose to say?_ thought Draco_. I can't say that I was bribing her for obvious reasons._

"I wanted to burn it," answered Draco, smoothly and simply.

It actually sounded like the most promising idea Draco had all day. A detailed image of a dirty, sobbing Hermione being strapped against a chair, screaming wildly while Draco burnt her essay one page at a time and laughed maniacally but still managing to catch the light in his hair and getting his good side…

"Interesting," Blaise said, shattering Draco's fantasy.

Draco stood a little straighter, the mischevious glint back in his eyes.

"She won't know what hit her," he said evilly while rubbing the back of his head.

End of chapter 7

A/N: I feel very bad for leaving this story for hanging for so long. I'm really sorry for people who were waiting so patiently(I haven't given up on the story!). The next update won't take as long! See you next time.


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